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Australia Clown Fish

2006 One Dollar

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The Clown Fish is one of the most loved and cherished specimens of Australian ocean life. Its scientific name is Amphiprion percula and there are 30 different species of clown fish (National Aquarium, 2014) . They were given their name of clown because of their bobbing action when they swim and their vibrant colour scheme. Their best friend is a sea anemone as it would usually be their home, they are immune to the poison due to their coating. The live amongst the tentacles which protect them from predators. The sea anemome in turn lives off the crumbs from the clown fish feasts. From birth, they are all males but when they pair up, the dominant one becomes the female.

To celebrate this fish, the Royal Australian Mint produced this commemorative one dollar coin. Pad printing techniques have been utilised by the RAM in order to produce this bright, colourful and fun collectors coin. This uncirculated one dollar clown fish coin is intended for collectors with the hope of catching the interests and attention of a younger audience. This coin is the first in a series that was released by the Royal Australian Mint over two years, between 2006 and 2007. The other marine life that accompanied this coin in the series includes the bottle-nose dolphin, the biscuit starfish, the bannerfish, the white shark and the seahorse. Each of the coins were issued individual and were encapsulated and presented on a card with colourful photographs of the featured marine life as well as fun facts and relevant information.

This particular coin pays tribute to the clown fish and the reverse designed by Tony Dean, features two of the colourful fish swimming close to their natural home of the sea anemone. Greens and purples were used to create the detail in the tentacles of the anemone and the distinctive and recognisable clown fish stand out thanks to the bold orange and white stripes. Air bubbles which are depicted rising upwards from the fish have been struck into the planchet as has the only legend on the reverse of the coin, the denomination 1 DOLLAR. The obverse features the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II as well as the traditional legend found on all Australian 1 dollar coins, which reads ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA 2006.